Plia's Kitchen - Green Bay, WI

You’ve seen pictures on our instagram of snacks my husband and I have picked up from Plia’s Kitchen’s food stand at the Saturday Morning Farmer’s Market already. We stop almost every single week for stuffed chicken wings and crab rangoons, and yet we never stopped in to their brick and mortar location. Their indoor dining has been closed for the entire pandemic up until the end of June, so we have done takeout with them at least once in that time. I waited to give them a formal review because I really wanted to see their interior and experience it for myself the best way I could.

Plia’s is in a small storefront on Webster Avenue, and when you see it, it makes sense that they wanted to limit indoor dining until they felt comfortable with where Brown County stood in the pandemic. There is not much room for tables, and the table spacing required in early CDC guidelines for indoor dining would have limited the space to maybe two tables. We got comfortable by the wall after ordering at the counter.

One of my favorite things about their indoor dining area is the little wooden box absolutely loaded with toppings for bowls of pho and fried rice. Anything you could possibly want is on there from fried garlic to crushed peanuts, from sambal to sriracha. They often send you with little containers of some of these products in the takeaway, but you don’t get it all like you do if you sit down for your meal.

​I ordered a small plate of their crab rangoons as an appetizer for myself. I remember when I first got them at the farmer’s market that I thought they were very thin, but I find this actually works out better for dipping purposes. The interior is nice and creamy, and when ate with their sweet chili sauce that they serve with it, it strikes a delicious balance. Two isn’t enough unless dinner is coming shortly after.

Their pho is complimented by a huge plate of thai basil and sprouts. It helped that two of us ordered pho, so the plate was the appropriate size for each of us if we had decided to utilize these toppings. I overdid it on chili oil for myself, so I didn’t eat much of my own pho at the time. However, the components of the pho were all well cooked and seasoned. The little, sliced meatballs get me every time.  This will be high on the list in the winter if I find myself the victim of my first cold in two years now that the mask mandate has been lifted.

My husband ordered the fried chicken platter that comes with two of their egg rolls and one of their famous stuffed chicken wings-- which was the draw of the thing to him. He will never miss an opportunity to get one of those chicken wings. If you’re in the market too-- you’ll want to arrive at the restaurant early. I’m told they often run out before the dinner rush. Lunch is your best bet. They are, however, often available at the farmer’s market Saturday morning.

Give them a visit both at the farmer’s market or at their brick and mortar location when you’re in the area. Plia’s is one of many local Hmong businesses that were cautious during the height of the pandemic and deserve our support, especially now as regulations relax.

As COVID infection numbers rise, their dining situation may again change. They’ve kept their finger on the pulse well to determine what is safest for their staff. You can check their facebook change for any updates to service. They announced there both when they went to takeout only and when they returned to indoor dining. As far as I’m concerned, they’re the people I’m going to listen to if things get bad again.  They know what they’re doing!

Special thanks to Plia’s for a delicious meal and experience with our guests that weekend, but also for their pandemic precautions when things were at their worst in Green Bay. It’s an admirable thing they did to keep their staff and customers safe. We are so happy to see you at the market again.